60 people killed, 231 injured 1700 houses burnt in Manipur violence

way2barak, May 8 : Around 60 people including women have been killed and 231 people injured while 1700 houses burned down in the ethnic violence in Manipur since May 3, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said on Monday.

The Chief Minister announced that a high-level inquiry would be conducted to fix responsibility on persons and groups who instigated the violence and government servants who didn’t meet their responsibilities.

So far 35,655 persons, hit by the violence, including 1,593 students moved to safer locations, Singh told the media.

Around 10,000 people remain stranded, the Chief Minister said, adding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been monitoring the situation from the first day of the incident till Monday.

The Home Minister has sent 50 companies of Central forces and 105 columns of Army and Assam Rifles to deal with the violence, Singh added.

He said that the miscreants and the agitators snatched 1041 arms and 7460 ammunition from the security forces and so far 214 arms and 4273 ammunition were recovered.

The Chief Minister has announced Rs five lakh as compensation to the next of kin to the deceased, Rs two lakh for grievous injuries and Rs 25, 000 for non-grievous injuries.

“I appeal to all not to spread or believe unfounded and baseless rumours. I appeal to people to bring peace and calm to the state. Transportation of stranded persons to their respective locations has started,” he said.

Singh said that all those persons stranded at different locations in Manipur are being provided best possible care and support in safe locations and shelter camps.

On May 3, unprecedented violent clashes, attacks and arson broke out at various places during a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.

Acting on a writ petition filed by the Meetei (Meitei) Trade Union, the Manipur High Court acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidaran on April 19 had directed the state government to submit the recommendation for inclusion of Meitei (Meetei) community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list to the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry.

The High Court order had said : “The issue of inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list of the Constitution is pending for nearly ten years and above. No satisfactory explanation is forthcoming from the side of the respondent state for not submitting the recommendation for the last 10 years.

“Therefore, it would be appropriate to direct the respondent state to submit its recommendation to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs within a reasonable time,” the order had said.

In view of the prevailing unrest in Manipur, the Central government has already imposed Article 355 in the state to bring the situation under control.

Article 355 is part of emergency provisions contained in the Constitution that empowers the Centre to take all necessary steps to protect a state against internal disturbances or external aggression.